Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners - Liner Note

 
Year : 1967
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban Jazz

"Liner Note" recorded in 1966, is the first original album by Takeshi Inomata released under the Takt Jazz Series of Nippon Columbia label. The West Liners lead by the legendary japanese drummer was originally formed as a sextet in 1957 with pianist/arranger Norio Maeda featuring Masaru Imada (p), bassist Tatsuro Takimoto (b), Sadanori Nakamure (g),  Shigeo Suzuki (as), Ichiro Mimori (ts) and Tetsuo Fushimi (tp). They were recruited as backing band by american songstress Helen Merrill when she was settle in Japan, recording "Helen Merrill In Tokyo" & "Sings Screen Favorites". Among others albums released by the band feature "Modern Top Hits" in 1965, come thereafter, "Paint It Black" in 1966,  "Come Together!" in 1969 and "My Way" in 1971. "Liner Note" is a blend of Jazz & Latin music including jazz standards of Miles DavisGeorge Gershwin & Herbie Hancock from Cool Jazz (All Blues), Modal (Freddie Freeloader, Cantaloupe Island) to Afro-Cuban Jazz (Afro-Blue), by Samba (La Grita) & Bossa Nova (MeditationPanteno). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

Norio Maeda Trio - We Three Jazz


Year : 1978
Label : ADAM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Contempory Jazz
  
The Norio Maeda Trio is among the finest japanese jazz formation actives during the seventies, including Takeshi Inomata on drums (regular sideman for Maeda), Yasuo Arakawa on bass and featuring american shakuhachi player (bamboo flute), John 'Kaizan' Neptune as guest on "Bamboo Blues". Titles include only Jazz standards among Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight"John Lewis' "Django"Duke Ellington's "In The Sentimental Mood" and the original "竹 Blues" (Bamboo Blues) composed by Neptune Kaizan. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.


Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] - Plays The "Standards"


Year : 2003
Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Cool Jazz

Sixth volume from the Lupin The Third [JAZZ] serie, the jazz cover album dedicated to the great jazz standards of the 20th century recorded by the Yuji Ohno Trio featuring drummer Kenichiro Murata & new bassist Masayuki Tawarayama who replaces Yoshio Suzuki. Titles include eight great jazz standards released from early thirty to late fifties among others, Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues", Joseph Kosma's "Autumn Leaves", "S'Wonderful" by Victor Young or "When You Wish Upon A Star(theme from popular animated Disney's film Pinocchio), plus two Lupin The 3rd classic songs, "Theme From Lupin The Third" & "Treasure Of Time"All tracks arranged by Yuji Ohno. 

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A State Of Mind - Crown Yard


Year : 2011
Label : Lab'Oratoire
Genre : Hip-Hop
Style : Hip-Hop Funk

A.S.M. are two MCs (Green-T & FP) and DJ Fade from England who performed Hip-Hop, Reggae and Trip-Hop. Revealed by French beatmaker Wax Tailor, they features on "Positively Inclined" extracted from his "HOPE & SORROW" album in 2007 and "Say Yes" from "In the Mood For Life" in 2009. Thereafter, Wax Tailor produced their previous album "Platypus Funk" on his own label "Lab'Oratoirerecruiting DJ Vadim, Sadat X, Wildchild and Bonobo. "Crown Yard" is a pure Hip-Hop Funk album to the James Brown style (check "Don't Look Back") with a dash of Reggae featuring backing band from 6ix Toys and Stab on turntables. Titles include "Give It Up" feat. Esther Cowens, "Hide & Seek" feat. Cornell Campbell, "Testimony" feat. Mattic from The Others & "Rawskank Redemption" feat. Justin Percival. Produced & arranged by Fade.

Wax Tailor - HOPE & SORROW


Year : 2007
Label : Atmosphériques
Genre : Electronic, Hip-Hop
Style : Downtempo, Trip-Hop

Second album by french Trip-Hop and Hip-Hop producer featuring Sharon Jones, A.S.M., The Others, Voice, Charlotte Savary & Ursula Rucker. As on "Tales Of The Forgotten Melodies" Wax Tailor is supported by session musicians Hélène Cervero on flute, Marina Quaisse on cello and Mr Gib from La Fine Equipe on turntables. Titles include single "Positively Inclined" feat. A.S.M.,"The Way We Lived" feat. Sharon Jones, three songs performed by Charlotte Savary (The Man With No Soul, To Dry Up & Alien In My Belly) and killer tune "House Of Wax" feat. The Others.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Kool & The Gang - Light Of Worlds


Year : 1974
Label : De-Lite
Genre : Soul
Style : Jazz Funk, Boogie Funk

"Light Of Worlds" keeps Kool & The Gang on the success road started with "Wild & Peaceful" in 1973. The fifth album of the band featuring the Pazant Brothers, includes the highlight song "Summer Madness". This song is a popular raw material for Hip-Hop samples from Gang Starr or Pete Rock &amp CL Smooth to Snoop Dogg. Titles include Boogie-Funk (Rhyme-Tyme PeopleLight Of The Worlds, Higher Plane), Jazz Funk (Street Corners Symphony) and pure R'N'B songs (FruitmanWhiting H. & GYou Don't Have To Change).

MUSICIANS : Robert 'Kool' Bell - bass - Khalis Bayyan - tenor saxophone - Claydes E. X. Smith - guitar - Rick West - keyboards - Dennis 'D.T.' Thomas - alto saxophone - Robert 'Spike' Mickens - trumpet, flugelhorn - George 'Funky' Brown - drums - Alvin Pazant - trumpet - Eddie Pazant - oboe, alto saxophone

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Betty Davis (Self-Titled)


Year : 1973
Label : Just Sunshine Records
Genre : Soul, Rock
Style : Funk Rock

Funk-Rock album by the rebel woman Betty Davis, known as the spearhead of the Miles Davis electrification. She introduced Miles to Jimmy Hendrix and persuaded him to explore Rock 'N' Roll music. She was the first woman to include explicit lyrics and sexual contents in her songs with a screaming and ravaging tone. She released only three albums from 1973 to 1975 before to retire of the musical industry.  Produced by Greg Errico, former member of legendary Sly & The Family Stone, it features an amazing line-up including Larry Graham from the same band, Neal Schon from the Santana backing band, Greg Adams from Tower Of Power and Sylvester and The Pointer Sisters in charge of chorus.

MUSICIANS : Betty Davis - lead vocal - Doug Rodrigues & Neal Schon - guitar - Larry Graham & Doug Rauch - bass - Merl Saunders - electric piano, clavinet - Richard Kermode - piano, clavinet - Hershall Kennedy - organ, clavinet - Greg Adams - trumpet - Gregg Errico - drums

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Monday, December 12, 2011

Akira Ishikawa & His Group - Drum Yagibushi Drum


Year : 1971
Label : Crown
Genre : Jazz, Folk
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic, Minyo

Volume 4 of five discs from the "DRUM DRUM DRUM" serie devoted to the iconic instrument, released on the japanese label "Crown Records", and recorded by Akira Ishikawa & His Group. Akira revisits the popular folk songs of Japanese culture from the best-known genres "Bushi" or the "Ondo". These two traditional japanese folk music genres are associated to various dances forms, by the using a set of traditional japanese drums and percussions such as the taiko. The group plays a clever fusion mixing world music, jazz & psychedelic rock including heavy drum solos with modern and traditional instruments.

Kenji Omura, Takao Yamamura, Martin Willweber - Count's Jazz Rock Band


Year : 2005
Label : Bridge Inc.
Genre : Rock, Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Blues Rock

This compilation brings together rare live tracks and studio recordings from 1969 to 1971, including original compositions and four cover songs among Steve Marcus (Count's Rock Blues), The Beatles (She's A Woman) or Bacharach/David (This Guy's In Love With You). The Count's Jazz Rock Band is a short-lived instrumental Jazz & Blues Rock group formed by guitarist Kenji Omura, bassist Takeo Yamamura and drummer Martin Willweber. Kenji Omura was a regular sideman of jazz keyboardist Jun Fukamachi and a session musician for the Yellow Magic Orchestra, while Martin Willweber studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Both joined Jun Fukamachi on stage, in particular for the Triangle Session tour in 1977 featuring The Breckers BrothersCount's Jazz Rock Band  is probably a wink to the Steve Marcus album's "Count's Rock Band". 

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Funky DL - A Classic Example Of A...


Year : 2010
Label : Bad News Records
Genre : Hip-Hop
Style : Jazzy Hip-Hop

"A Classic Example Of A..." is the fifth album by british Hip-Hop rapper/producer Funky DL released on Japanese Hip-Hop label Bad News Records. It mixes R'N'B & Jazz including several featurings with DJ Stixx (Rhymin' 76), MC Dukus Alemay (Rhymin' 76, Your NightHold On, Wait Up) and Lei-An (C'Mon, Star Signs, Wealthy). Dukus Alemay and Lei-An are part of the Funky DL's project "Gemini Infinity". The title probably refers to "The Infamous Date Rape" by A Tribe Called Quest extracted from "The Low End Theory" released in 1991.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Shuggie Otis - Here Comes Shuggie Otis


Year : 1970
Label : Epic/Sony
Genre : Soul, Jazz, Rock
Style : Soul, Jazz, Psychedelic Soul

Debut album of the "Jimi Hendrix" of Soul music featuring jazz great bassist Al McKibbonPreston Love (fl, sax), Wilton Felder (eb) and "Stix" Hooper (ds) from The Crusaders. At just fifteen year old, his father, the famous musician and producer Johnny Otis, introduces him on his shows and Al Kooper invited him to participate to the "Kooper Session" recordings in 1969 alongside Stephen Stills and Mike Bloomfield. After only three solo albums, he becomes again a session musician for his father. "Here Comes Shuggie Otis" crosses musical boundaries and contributes to the emergence of the Psychedelic Soul style including "Oxford Gray", reminiscent of the Hendrix guitar-playing. Titles include Soul Jazz (Bootie Cooler, Funky Thithee), Soul Funk (Hurricane), Blues (Shuggie's Boogie), Blues Rock (Gospel Groove, Hawkins), Folk Rock (Knowing (That You Want Him)) and Pop (Jennie Lee).

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Earth, Wind And Fire - The Need Of Love


Year : 1971
Label : Warner
Genre : Soul, Jazz
Style : Psychedelic Soul

Second album of the band featuring guest musicians, jazz trumpeter Oscar Brashear and percussionist Yackov Ben Israel. As the previous album, "The Need Of Love" includes Funk/Soul songs to the jazz expressions, as evidence the opening track, the psalm "Energy", a over nine-minute suite with free forms, slam and funky arrangements. Titles include Psychedelic Soul songs "I Can Feel It In My Bones", "Everything Is Everything", "Beauty" and the love ballad "I Think About Lovin' You".

MUSICIANS : Maurice White - drums, percussion, kalimba, vocals - Verdine Adams - bass - Michael Beale - guitar, harmonica - Yackov Ben Israel - percussion, congas - Don Whitehead - piano, electric piano - Chester Washington - tenor saxophone - Alex Thomas - trombone - Oscar Brashear - trumpet, vocals - Wade Flemons & Sherry Scott - vocals

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